Chapter 8 - The Uninvited Witness
The elevator doors slid open to reveal an unexpected figure standing in the doorway: Detective Vance—Julian’s estranged older brother, a man who had spent twenty years inside internal affairs hunting down corporate corruption. Unlike Julian, Thomas wore a rumpled trench coat, his face worn by years of sleepless nights and bitter family feuds.
Thomas stepped out into the penthouse, his heavy boots scuffing the pristine Persian rug. He didn't look at Julian; his weary eyes locked directly onto Elena and the frightened little girl standing behind her.
""Let her go, Julian,"" Thomas said, his voice deep and gravelly, carrying the heavy weight of authority. ""Your little corporate fairy tale is officially over. The federal grand jury just issued a full subpoena for your financial logs, the fake adoption filings, and the hospital records from six years ago.""
Julian slowly released Elena’s wrist, stepping back with an expression of cold calculation rather than panic. He smoothed down the lapels of his suit jacket, offering his brother a chillingly calm smirk.
""You think a subpoena scares me, Thomas?"" Julian asked smoothly, walking over to his mahogany desk and picking up a secure landline telephone. ""By the time your federal judges review those documents, every digital footprint, every witness, and every shred of physical evidence will have been legally scrubbed by top-tier legal teams.""
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""Not this time,"" Thomas replied, stepping forward and tossing a thick federal envelope onto Julian’s desk. ""Because I didn't rely on digital copies. I secured the physical vault downstairs.""
Before Julian could reach for the envelope, the penthouse lights completely died, plunging the entire floor into pitch darkness.
